Biomass is one of the oldest fuels known to man. Simply stated, biomass is vegetation or fuel from plants, agricultural waste products or the like. During photosynthesis, plants combine carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground to form carbohydrates that are the building blocks of biomass. The solar energy that drives photosynthesis is stored in the chemical bonds of the structural components of biomass. Burning biomass efficiently extracts the energy stored in the chemical bonds and produces carbon dioxide and water. Generating energy and heat by burning biomass displaces more polluting forms of energy generation and also provides other environmental benefits, such as reducing acid rain, soil erosion, water pollution and pressure on landfills. Additional environmental benefits include mitigating climate changes, providing wildlife habitat, and helping to maintain forest health through better management.
Biomass fuel is both abundant and renewable. There is biomass in virtually every part of the world that can be tapped to create power. If all the biomass potentially available today were used to produce energy an estimated 2,750 Quads. (1 Quad is equal to 1,000,000,000,000,000 BTUs) would be produced. At present, the world population uses only about 7% of the available annual production of biomass. As a result, biomass is not only the logical alternative fuel of the future but is also currently a logical source of energy.
Stoves or furnaces for burning biomass fuel to produce energy are not new. There are many stoves and furnaces for burning biomass fuel, however, there currently is not widespread acceptance of these furnaces or stoves by consumers. Cost is one of the main motivators leading consumers to use a stove or furnace that burns biomass fuels. However, consumers of current biomass fuel stoves or furnaces many times have to compromise in terms of cleanliness and convenience when switching to a furnace that burns biomass fuels. One main area of inconvenience and uncleanliness is the removal of ash from a biomass stove. Currently, this is a messy job that must be performed relatively frequently. Many times, the biomass fuel may not be completely burned. This equates to an inefficient use of the biomass fuel. In addition, when the biomass fuel is not completely burned, the waste or ash produced by the biomass furnace or stove is less dense. The less dense the burned or partially burned fuel, the more frequently the stove or furnace must be cleaned. Less dense ash also means that the ash will be looser and much more apt to fly around as the stove or furnace is cleaned.